FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / Permanent deformation or rutting is a major distress in asphalt pavements. To predict permanent deformation of asphalt mixtures the dynamic creep test is often used in laboratory, with the result presented in terms of the so called flow number. However, for this work it was performed the triaxial repeated permanent deformation load test, a confined test that better represents field conditions. The models that incorporate the flow number do not represent the main zone of the dynamic creep test result, denoted secondary region, in which the permanent deformation rate of growth is constant. In this work the Shift Model was used, which is a viscoplastic model that accesses the permanent deformation from the superposition principles, i.e., time-temperature superposition and time-stress superposition. Thus, the asphalt mixtures were tested under different loading conditions, temperature, load time and rest period, in order to assess three parameters of the test: parameter C, which indicates where the secondary region begins (parameter that governs the primary region of the test); the parameter α (alpha) is the slope of the secondary region; and the parameter B represents the level of permanent deformation of the secondary region. The results show that the TRLPD test is more severe than the conventional dynamic creep test. Nevertheless, the use of TRLPD test represents an advance in the understanding of the behavior of asphalt mixtures with respect to rutting performance, and has the advantage of allowing the use of results in computational simulations. / A deformaÃÃo permanente à um dos principais defeitos em pavimentos asfÃlticos. Para prever esta falha em revestimentos, por meio de ensaios laboratoriais, à frequentemente utilizado o ensaio de creep dinÃmico cujo resultado final à apresentado em termos do chamado flow number. No entanto, para este trabalho foi realizado o triaxial repeated load permanent deformation (TRLPD) test, que à um ensaio sob condiÃÃes de confinamento, a fim de melhor se aproximar das condiÃÃes encontradas em campo. Os modelos que incorporam o flow number nÃo representam a principal regiÃo de ensaio de creep dinÃmico, denominada regiÃo secundÃria, na qual o incremento de deformaÃÃo permanente cresce em valor constante. No presente trabalho utilizou-se o Shift Model, o qual à um modelo viscoplÃstico que avalia a deformaÃÃo permanente a partir da superposiÃÃo dos efeitos tempo-temperatura e tempo-tensÃo. Dessa forma, as misturas asfÃlticas foram testadas sob diferentes condiÃÃes de carregamento, temperatura, tempo de aplicaÃÃo de carga e perÃodo de repouso. Foram avaliados trÃs parÃmetros do ensaio em questÃo: o parÃmetro C, que fornece os dados de onde a regiÃo secundÃria se inicia (parÃmetro que governa a regiÃo primÃria do ensaio); o parÃmetro α (alfa), que à o aclive da regiÃo secundÃria; e o parÃmetro B, que representa o nÃvel de deformaÃÃo permanente da regiÃo secundÃria. Os resultados obtidos mostram que o ensaio TRLPD à mais severo do que o ensaio convencional de creep dinÃmico, porÃm considera-se que a utilizaÃÃo de ensaios confinados representa um avanÃo para o entendimento do comportamento das misturas asfÃlticas quanto à resistÃncia à deformaÃÃo permanente das mesmas, e este traz a vantagem de poder ser usado em simulaÃÃes computacionais.

The Marine sponge Cinachyrella sp used in this study are commonly found in offshore South Florida and Caribbean waters and appeared to be resilient in closed system aquaculture. Marine sponges host diverse bacterial symbionts that are distinct compared to bacteria found in ambient seawater, however the roles of a large fraction of the bacterial community in marine sponges are unknown. Comparison of symbiotic to aposymbiotic (bacteria-free) sponges could provide information about interactions (metabolic and physiologic) between the bacteria and sponge. In this study, a single Cinachyrella kuekenthali individual was subsectioned into explants (N=240) in order to provide identical bacterial communities to perform comparative studies. Presence of photosymbionts was also analyzed by characterizing bacterial communities from varying light and dark conditions. Tools for characterization included transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and 16S rRNA sequence analysis obtained from Illumina Miseq. High throughput DNA sequencing revealed bacterial taxa belonging to phyla Thaumarchaeota, Chloroflexi, Nitrospira, Acidobacteria and Verrucomicrobia persist in the explants. This study also demonstrated that antibiotics (Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Penicillin-Streptomycin and combination of all) can alter the bacterial community in the marine sponge C. kuekenthali explants in vitro. Bacterial communities of explants treated with different antibiotics were statistically (Unifrac and Bray-Curtis analysis) different from controls (p-value < 0.001, R2=41%). Penicillin-streptomycin and cocktail of antibiotics treatment contributed to the highest difference in the bacterial communities. Also, bacterial communities of explants at difference time points treated with corresponding antibiotics were also statistically significant (p-value<0.05, R2=15%). TEM observations of denatured nucleic acid and osmotic lysis of bacteria, due to the effect of antibiotics were observed, creating a LMA mesohyl. However light versus dark conditions did not produce any statistically significant difference in beta diversity between bacterial communities. These interdisciplinary results indicate that while individual bacterial symbiont taxa may persist after community disruption, significant changes in the overall composition of the bacterial symbiont population can be created

abstract: Several ways exist to improve pavement performance over time. One suggestion is to tailor the asphalt pavement mix design according to certain specified specifications, set up by each state agency. Another option suggests the addition of modifiers that are known to improve pavement performance, such as crumb rubber and fibers. Nowadays, improving asphalt pavement structures to meet specific climate conditions is a must. In addition, time and cost are two crucial settings and are very important to consider; these factors sometimes play a huge role in modifying the asphalt mix design needed to be set into place, and therefore alter the desired pavement performance over the expected life span of the structure. In recent studies, some methods refer to predicting pavement performance based on the asphalt mixtures volumetric properties. In this research, an effort was undertaken to gather and collect most recent asphalt mixtures’ design data and compare it to historical data such as those available in the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP), maintained by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The new asphalt mixture design data was collected from 25 states within the United States and separated according to the four suggested climatic regions. The previously designed asphalt mixture designs in the 1960’s present in the LTPP Database implemented for the test sections were compared with the recently designed pavement mixtures gathered, and pavement performance was assessed using predictive models. Three predictive models were studied in this research. The models were related to three major asphalt pavement distresses: Rutting, Fatigue Cracking and Thermal Cracking. Once the performance of the asphalt mixtures was assessed, four ranking criteria were developed to support the assessment of the mix designs quality at hand; namely, Low, Satisfactory, Good or Excellent. The evaluation results were reasonable and deemed acceptable. Out of the 48 asphalt mixtures design evaluated, the majority were between Satisfactory and Good. The evaluation methodology and criteria developed are helpful tools in determining the quality of asphalt mixtures produced by the different agencies. They provide a quick insight on the needed improvement/modification against the potential development of distress during the lifespan of the pavement structure. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering 2020

Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) overlay is a major rehabilitation treatment for the existing deteriorated pavements (both flexible and rigid pavements). Reflective cracking (RC) is the most common distress type appearing in the HMA overlays which structurally and functionally degrades the whole pavement structure, especially under high traffic volume. Although many studies have been conducted to identify the best performing RC mitigation technique, the level of success varies from premature failure to good performance in the field. In Florida, Asphalt Rubber Membrane Interlayers (ARMIs) have been used as a RC mitigation technique but its field performance has not been successful. In this study, the best performing means to mitigate RC in the overlays considering Florida’s special conditions have been investigated. The research methodology includes (1) extensive literature reviews regarding the RC mechanism and introduced mitigation options, (2) nationwide survey for understanding the current practice of RC management in the U.S., and (3) the development of decision trees for the selection of the best performing RC mitigation method. Extensive literature reviews have been conducted to identify current available RC mitigation techniques and the advantages and disadvantages of each technique were compared. Lesson learned from the collected case studies were used as input for the selection of the best performing RC mitigation techniques for Florida’s roads. The key input parameters in selecting optimum mitigation techniques are: 1) overlay characterization, 2) existing pavement condition, 3) base and subgrade structural condition, 4) environmental condition and 5) traffic level. In addition, to understand the current iv practices how reflective cracking is managed in each state, a nationwide survey was conducted by distributing the survey questionnaire (with the emphasis on flexible pavement) to all other highway agencies. Based on the responses, the most successful method of treatment is to increase the thickness of HMA overlay. Crack arresting layer is considered to be in the second place among its users. Lack of cost analysis and low rate of successful practices raise the necessity of conducting more research on this subject. Considering Florida’s special conditions (climate, materials, distress type, and geological conditions) and the RC mechanism, two RC mitigation techniques have been proposed: 1) overlay reinforcement (i.e. geosynthetic reinforcement) for the existing flexible pavements and 2) Stress Absorbing Membrane Interlayer (SAMI) for the existing rigid pavements. As the final products of this study, decision trees to select an optimum RC mitigation technique for both flexible and rigid pavements were developed. The decision trees can provide a detailed guideline to pavement engineer how to consider the affecting parameters in the selection of RC mitigation technique.

No description available.

No description available.

Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) design has undergone years of development. Currently, many state agencies use the Superpave mix design method. While the Superpave mix design improved rutting, the implemented level 1 only considered volumetric properties and not mixture performance tests. Therefore, development in the asphalt community has addressed some of the issues with the Superpave mix design, e.g., cracking and raveling, with the Balance Mix Design (BMD) approaches. The Balance Mix Design incorporates performance testing elements that the level 1 Superpave mix design does not. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) aims to implement the Balance Mix Design by 2023. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the initial frictional properties of mixes designed using the Balanced Mix Design method to verify that safety is not compromised to support the implementation of the BMD method within VDOT. It provides a further understanding of BMD mixtures surface properties provides insight into volumetric properties that may influence macrotexture. The thesis analyzed the initial friction and macrotexture of a series of experimental sections built to support VDOT BMD implementation efforts. A Side-Force Coefficient Road Investigation Machine (SCRIM) was used to measure friction and texture data on Control (Superpave Mix Design) and Balance Mix Design sections on several VDOT districts. Once the data was collected, it was analyzed using descriptive statistics and mean comparisons to determine any statistical differences in the friction and texture of the Control and BMD Mixes. The analysis showed that although statistically significant differences in friction and macrotexture were observed between some of the Superpave (Control) and Balance Mix Design mixes, the differences seem to be more prominent among districts than between the mix design method. In general, there were no difference in friction between control and BMD mixes in the same locations. On the other hand, there is statistically significant differences in the as-constructed macrotexture of Superpave and BMD mixes evaluated, with more BMD mixes having higher macrotexture than their control counterparts. Further analysis was conducted to create a macrotexture prediction model based on production volumetric properties obtained from VDOT databases. The model provided an initial assessment of the main HMA properties that influence MPD. A comparison of the macrotexture of the constructed in the various locations found that there is strong statistical evidence that the mean macrotexture of the pavement constructed in the various location was different. The analysis also showed that some projects produced sections with more uniform macrotexture than others. Comparison of mixes constructed in different years does not suggest any significant differences over the three-construction season evaluated. / Master of Science / Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) is derived from various mix designs over the last hundred years. Currently, many highway agencies use the Superpave Mix Design in roadway development but only his basic level has been implemented. Most agencies do not use mechanical tests to verify that the mixes will perform properly when place on the pavement. To address some of issues with the current mix design approach, highway agencies have started to implement and use the Balance Mix Design (BMD). The Balance Mix Design incorporates performance tests for distresses such as rutting and cracking where the Superpave Mix Design did not. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) is working towards implementing the Balance Mix Design by 2023. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the initial frictional properties of mixes designed using the Balanced Mix Design method to verify that safety is not compromised to support the implementation of the BMD method within VDOT. It helps agencies understand of BMD mixtures surface properties and what mix design properties may influence the safety of the road surface. The thesis analyzed the initial friction and macrotexture, properties that allow the vehicles to break and maintain control on curves, of a series of experimental sections built to support VDOT BMD implementation efforts. The Side-Force Coefficient Road Investigation Machine (SCRIM) is a large vehicle that continuously measures the pavement surface for friction, texture, and other elements using a skewed wheel and a laser system. The SCRIM was used in this thesis to measure friction and texture data on Control (Superpave Mix Design) and Balance Mix Design sections constructed on several VDOT districts. The data were analyzed using statistical analysis to determine any differences in the friction and texture of the Control and BMD Mixes. In general, there are no differences in friction between control and BMD mixes in the same locations. On the other hand, the analysis showed significant differences in the as-constructed macrotexture of Superpave and BMD mixes evaluated. In general, more BMD mixes had higher macrotexture than their control counterparts. Further analysis was conducted to create a macrotexture prediction model based on production volumetric properties obtained from VDOT databases. A comparison of the macrotexture of the constructed in the various locations found that there is strong statistical evidence that the average macrotexture of the pavement constructed in the various location was different.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:30:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 dissertacao angela.pdf: 1019128 bytes, checksum: 322477efc5355806a9e225d3015698f6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-03-12 / Introduction: There are limited HIV-1 genetic diversity studies performed in Central West and North Brazil subjects. Objectives: To characterize the HIV-1 genetic diversity in the gag region of patients from the States of Tocantins (TO) and Mato Grosso (MT). Material and Methods: 130 patients infected with HIV-1 were recruited from 2003 to 2006, at the regional Public Health Central Laboratories (LACEN) from TO (n=70) e MT (n=60). The HIV-1 genetic diversity in the gag region was investigated by heteroduplex mobility analysis HMA (HMA gag kits/AIDS Reagent Program/ NIH/ USA). For the gag region the Nested-PCR was performed employing the primers H1G777/ H1P02 and H1gag1584/ g17. HIV-1 subtypes references were amplified using the primers of Nested-PCR second round. HMA gag consists in the migration analysis of the hybrid formed by HIV-1 subtypes references and patient samples after polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (5%). Results: Males were 60% of the study population in TO and 48,3% in MT. The median age was 34 years (21 l71 years) in TO and 35.5 years (4 64 years) in MT. The risk exposure categories of this study group were: sexual exposure (TO: 72.9%, MT: 93.3%), parenteral risk (TO: 4.3%, MT: 3.4%) and vertical case (MT: 1.4%). The HIV-1 subtypes identified by HMA gag were: B (TO: 82.8%, MT: 50.0%), F (TO: 7.8%, MT: 5.6%), C (TO: 4.7%, MT: 11.1%), B/D (TO: 4.7%, MT: 31.5%) and B/F (MT: 1.8%). Subtype B was predominant among men, women and all risk exposure categories. Conclusions: The genetic diversity analysis of HIV-1 isolates from TO and MT pointed subtype B as the prevalent. The most prevalent second form in TO was subtype F and in MT was subtype C. These results contribute to the genetic molecular mapping of the HIV-1 gag region in the Central West and North Brazil. / Introdução: Os estudos sobre a diversidade genética do HIV-1 em pacientes do Centro-Oeste e Norte do Brasil são escassos. Objetivos: Caracterizar a diversidade genotípica do HIV-1 na região gag em pacientes do estado do Tocantins (TO) e Mato Grosso (MT). Material e Métodos: 130 pacientes infectados pelo HIV-1 foram recrutados entre 2003 a 2006, no Laboratório Central dos estado do TO (n=70) e MT (n=60). A diversidade genética do HIV-1 na região gag foi estudada pelo Ensaio de Mobilidade do Heteroduplex-HMA (HMA gag kits/AIDS Reagent Program/ NIH/ USA). A Nested-PCR foi realizada para gag empregando-se os pares de iniciadores H1G777/ H1P02 e H1gag1584/ g17. Cepas de referências dos subtipos do HIV-1 foram amplificadas utilizando os iniciadores da segunda etapa da Nested-PCR . HMA gag consiste na análise de migração de híbridos entre as cepas de referências do HIV-1 e amostras dos pacientes após eletroforese em gel de poliacrilamida (5%). Resultados: A população de estudo consiste de 60% de homens no estado do TO e de 48,3% em MT. A mediana de idade foi de 34 anos (21 71 anos) em TO e 35,5 anos (4 64 anos) em MT. O grupo de estudo incluiu as categorias de exposição sexual (TO: 72,9%, MT: 93,3%), parenteral (TO: 4,3%, MT: 3,4%) e perinatal (MT: 1,4%). Os subtipos do HIV-1 identificados por HMA gag foram: B (TO: 82,8%, MT: 50,0%), F (TO: 7,8%, MT: 5,6%), C (TO: 4,7%, MT: 11,1%), B/D (TO: 4,7%, MT: 31,5%) e B/F (MT: 1,8%). Entre homens, mulheres e em todas as categorias de exposição observamos predomínio do subtipo B. Conclusões: Análise da diversidade genética em isolados de HIV-1 do TO e MT indicou predomínio do subtipo B. A segunda forma mais prevalente no TO foi o subtipo F e no MT o subtipo C. Nossos resultados do estado do Tocantins e Mato Grosso contribuem para o mapeamento genético molecular do HIV-1 no Centro-Oeste e Norte Brasileiro.

Master of Science / Department of Civil Engineering / Mustaque A. Hossain / Preventive maintenance strategies are applied to pavement to bring it back to appropriate serviceability when it starts to deteriorate soon after construction due to several factors, e.g., traffic loading, deterioration of pavement materials, and climatic effects. In recent years, more and more highway agencies are adopting preventive maintenance strategies and moving away from rehabilitation actions since rehabilitating pavements at near failure is not a cost-effective pavement management technique. A variety of preventive maintenance treatments or thin surface treatments are available to bring pavements back to appropriate serviceability for road users. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) has adopted several preventive maintenance treatments including thin overlay, ultra-thin bonded asphalt surface (Nova Chip), chip seal, and slurry seal. This thesis discusses the effectiveness of thin surface or preventive maintenance treatments applied in 2007 on 16 highway sections in Kansas. Three types of thin surface treatments, 25-mm Hot-Mix-Asphalt (1” HMA) overlay, ultra-thin bonded asphalt surface (Nova Chip), and chip seal, were examined in this study. These treatments were applied on three types of surface preparation, namely, bare surface, 25-mm surface recycle (1” SR), and 50-mm surface recycle (2” SR). Effectiveness of the thin surface or preventive maintenance treatments for mitigating typical distresses and enhancing pavement performance was evaluated by conducting before-and-after (BAA) comparisons. All data required for this study were extracted from the Pavement Management Information System (PMIS) database of KDOT. It was observed that transverse and fatigue cracking significantly decreased and rutting conditions were improved after the thin surface treatments were applied. Roughness conditions were observed to be better on the highway test sections treated with 25-mm (1”) HMA and Nova Chip, while the effects of chip seals on reducing roughness were not as obvious. Benefit and performance levels of the pavements were observed to rise after the thin surface treatments were applied. The Hamburg Wheel-Tracking Device (HWTD) test was conducted on core samples taken from the highway sections under this study. Laboratory test results showed that most projects exceeded the maximum rut-depth limit (20 mm) specified for 20,000 wheel passes, and the number of wheel passes to failure varied significantly among the projects. Cores from only three projects, two treated with Nova Chip and one with 25-mm (1”) HMA, carried 20,000 wheel passes without exceeding the maximum rut limit of 20 mm (0.8 inch). Pair-wise comparisons or contrasts among the treatments were also performed with the statistical analysis software, SAS. Air void of the HWTD test cores was found to be a significant factor affecting performance of thin surface treatments. The results also revealed that performance was significantly affected by the type of treatment and surface preparation.

The recent changes in the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) hot mix asphalt (HMA) mix design procedures to ensure that the mixture types routinely used on Texas highways are not prone to rutting raised concerns that these mixture types are now more susceptible to fatigue cracking. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate fatigue cracking test methods and recommend that which is both simple and robust, especially in qualifying commonly used Texas mixture types. One way to minimize fatigue cracking is through material screening and selection of appropriate mix designs that are representative of fatigue-resistant HMA mixes. However, there are not many standardized laboratory fracture resistance tests that have been universally adopted for routine mix design and/or screening purposes for HMA fatigue resistance. In this study, four different fracture test methods: the Overlay Tester (OT), Direct Tension (DT), Indirect Tension (IDT), and Semicircular Bending (SCB) tests were comparatively evaluated for their potential application as surrogate tests for routine fracture resistance evaluation and screening of HMA mixes in the laboratory. The evaluation criteria included: rationality of the test concept and correlation to field performance, repeatability and variability, simplicity and practicality of the sample fabrication process, and simplicity of data analysis. Results and key findings based on the laboratory fatigue resistance characterization of various commonly used Texas coarse- and fine-graded HMA mixes (Type B, C, and D) are presented in this paper. Overall, preliminary findings indicated that no monotonically-loaded test would be appropriate as a surrogate fatigue resistance test; however, the SCB test showed potential as a repeated-loading test. Suggested SCB test improvements include developing the repeated SCB test protocol, determining the appropriate failure criterion, and correlating laboratory performance to field performance.